Direct Succession

The Stuart Succession Today

The direct, legitimate male line of the Royal House of
Stuart ended in 1807 with the death of Henry IX, the
Cardinal Duke of York. The senior descent of the Royal
House from that date is well documented. The Headship of
the House of Stuart takes its descent from Henrietta-Anne
(1644-1670), daughter of King Charles I, and her husband
Philippe, Duke of Orléans and was inherited by their
heirs, the House of Savoy. Marriages of the subsequent
heirs then saw it pass to the House of Modena-Este and
later to the House of Wittelsbach (Bavaria), with whom it
rests today and the Head of which is Duke Franz.

It should be noted that none of these representatives of
King Charles I since 1807 has attempted to claim a British
Throne. The late Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
(1869-1955) strongly discouraged supporters in the
United Kingdom from making claims on his behalf.

The Stuart Succession after 1807

The descendants of Princess Henrietta-Anne, youngest
daughter of King Charles I, who would have been de jure
monarchs of the House of Stuart after the death of King
Henry IX and I in 1807 are shown below. Italian and German
names are shown in their Anglicised forms and the numerals
following the names (where appropriate) relate to the English
and Scottish successions respectively where necessary:

House of Savoy (Sardinia)

Charles IV

1807-1819

Victor

1819-1824

Mary II*

1824-1840

House of Este (Modena)

Francis I

1840-1875

Mary III

1875-1919

House of Wittelsbach (Bavaria)

Robert I and IV

1919-1955

Albert

1955-1996

Francis II

1996-

*
The elder daughter of King James II and VII who was married
to William of Orange and styled herself Mary II was not part
of the de jure succession, her father and brother being
alive at the time.

It must again be emphasised that none of these de jure
monarchs since 1807 has ever laid claim to the throne of
England, Scotland, Ireland or France. Under the terms of
the Act of Settlement (1701) they have all been excluded
from the de facto line of succession which vests in the
present House of Windsor.